Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

thought the Buddhists gave it the attentionof their best minds. As a result Buddhismgained much ground but Christianity didnot. "What we need is an institute for thestudy of the Church in China," Taylorconcluded.RES NewsletterBIBLE WORK OPENINGUP IN COMMUNIST-DOMINATED COUNTRIESNEW YORK—New openings forBible work in Eastern Europe make workin communist-dominated countries more"encouraging" than in many years, theRev. Sverre Smaadahl of Geneva, Switzerland,regional secretary consultant forEastern Europe for the United BibleSocieties, declared here.While the extent of Bible workvaries, Mr. Smaadahl said it is carried on inall Eastern European countries, with theexception of Albania, where "religion isforbidden."Because there have been no freshsupplies of Scriptures for decades in themajority of the countries and churcheshave lost many of their privileges, he said,"Christians in Eastern Europe have experiencedwhat it is to live under theCross." Christianity "has survived."In a "most realistic way" churcheshave been thrown back to the Biblicalmessage as the final basis for Christianfaith and life. "A deep love for the Biblehas emerged, which has made the deep anduncovered needs for Holy Scriptures evengreater," he continued.Enumerating new openings last yearMr. Smaadahl said the United BibleSocieties has contact with 13 translationprojects including four in Yugoslavia,three in the Soviet Union, two inCzechoslovakia and one each in Bulgaria,Hungary, Poland, and Rumania.(Some countries have more than onetranslation project because severallanguages are spoken there).Contacts are made in several ways.Translation literature is sent eastward withscholarly editions of the Bible. Europeansecretary-consultants and translationspecialists visit the various communistcountries. Eastern European translatorstake part in training courses in the West,and training courses and consultations fortranslators are held in the East, he told.Scriptures are made available incountries where the churches haverequested them, either by having thempublished in the requesting country orhaving them printed elsewhere and imported.In East Germany Scriptures havebeen published to meet the needs theresince 1945 and some German Bibles havebeen exported. Annual production nowtotals 350,000 copies.Scriptures have been producedregularly in the past 20 years in Hungary,although the total of 295,000 Scripturesproduced between 1949-1970 has not beenadequate, he said.A total of 120,000 Bibles and NewTestaments were produced in Russia since1956.While he termed production inCzechslovakia "very limited and irregular"up until 1968, a total of 122,000 Scriptureswere produced in Prague and Bratislavaduring the last two years.There was no production in Rumaniaprior to 1967, but since then 100,000 Bibleswere printed in Bucharest. Currently40,000 New Testaments are underproduction in Rumania.A production of 50,000 NewTestaments is expected in Bulgaria whennew translation is finished in theforeseeable future, the United BibleSocieties secretary said.He added that because of standinglicenses Bibles have been going to Polandand Yugoslavia since 1945 at the annualrate of 120,000 Scriptures to Poland and25,000 to Yugoslavia.For the first time under communismBibles were imported into Czechoslovakiaand Rumania, 41,000 to the former countryin 1970 and 10,000 to a Protestant churchin Rumania this year.Mr. Smaadahl said that the 750,000copies of the Scriptures which were madeavailable, in different ways, in EasternEuropean countries in 1969 might seemslight in light of the 350 million inhabitants.However, compared to the situation fiveyears ago,it is a real "breakthrough forBible work in the communist countries."Labeling the opportunities to doBible work in Eastern Europe a "task ofhighest priority," Secretary Smaadahl said:"Only when we use the existingopportunities, will we be able to see newones. With full awareness of the deep anduncovered need there still is in most of theEastern European countries for the HolyScriptures, we are thankful and glad for thedoors which the Lord has opened for us."DR. JOEL H.NEDERHOODMinister on "Back to God Hour"Dr. Joel H. Nederhood, minister onthe "Back to God Hour" radio broadcast,spoke at Geneva College, March 14.His topic was "God's Jubilee Grace"using Luke 4:21 as his text.Dr. Nederhood was graduated fromCalvin College in 1952, after which heserved two years in the United StatesArmy. He then entered Calvin Seminarywhere he was graduated in 1957 andcontinued his studies at the Free Universityat Amsterdam where he completed hiswork in 1960. His dissertation was titled,"The Church as Mission and theEducated."He then joined the administrativestaff of the "Back to God Hour" and asassociate minister was frequently heard asa summer speaker on the radio broadcastin the Pittsburgh area. He assisted inestablishing a Christian Reformed Churchin Washington, Pennsylvania, returning tothe Chicago office after the church obtaineda permanent minister.Dr. Nederhood was appointed radiominister of the Christian Reformed Churchafter the death of the Rev. Dr. PeterEldersveld in 1965. He now serves as themain speaker on the "Back to God Hour"radio program carried by the MutualBroadcasting System, NBC, the Yankeeand the Intermountain Networks, andmany other large broadcasting stations.The English program is the official radiovoice of the Reformed Churches inAustralia and New Zealand. The overseasoperation, under the supervision of theChicago headquarters, includes full timeradio ministers who broadcast in theArabic and Spanish languages.WHY HE LOVED HERA young woman who runs a powersewing machine for fifty hours a week in afactory tells the following story of hermarried life.My husband, left an orphan, neverhad a chance to go to school or learn atrade. He is a teamster and makes verylittle money, but he loves me enough totrust me with all he earns. My husbanddoes not go to saloons or places of thatsort, and he never goes out for pleasurewithout me. Do you think it hurts me thathe can't give me fine clothes when everyday he tells me I am the best thing Godever gave him?Every night he kisses my hands thathave worked so hard all day. We have beenmarried over a year and never a crossword. I did not know any one could be sohappy. Do you think I mind working tohelp a man like that? His love makeseverything worth while. Here is a man,ignorant of books, with no businesstraining, yet possessing a rare faculty thatguides his home life in ways of happinessand peace.—The ExpositorUNITED PRAYER CONFERENCEPRAYER TOPICMay 9-16,1971GOD AND FAMILIES:WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP?MARCH 24, 1971 15